Question 17. “How would your plan work out in the case of those families who live part of the year in vans, and the other part of the year in houses?”

I would propose that their vans should be registered at those registration districts in which the owner of the van has his settled home. I will illustrate this in the following manner. Suppose an owner of a van, after travelling the country during the summer months, draws his van into a yard and takes to house dwelling during the winter. Of course, the children during the winter months will be under the School Board authorities, at the place where his house is rated for the relief of the poor and other rates; but supposing—as is often the case—with the dawn of spring the gipsy traveller desires to leave his house during the summer mouths, and takes his wife and children round the country, I would suggest that he should provide himself with a free educational pass book, and that he should be compelled to send his children to some day school the required number of times, and it would be the duty of the School Board officers where his van is registered, together with the School Board officers where the vans may be temporarily located, to examine the pass book, and to see that the educational clauses were carried out. In case of village feasts the children should be sent to the next village school. Children can easily make the number of attendances.

Question 18. “What is your opinion about the education gained in this way?”

It will not be the best education in the world, but it will be a thousand times better than none at all. It would cause them to see some of the advantages of education, and it would start their young ideas up civilizing channels.

Question 19. “Would it not be a hardship upon the parents if the children were not allowed to work in connection with their vans and shows until they had passed the Third Standard?”

They would not be in a worse position than other working classes are. As a rule, they spend much more money in drink than labourers in our towns and villages do. All the working classes, except the two I refer to, are prohibited from sending their children to work before they have passed the Fourth Standard, and I am sure that the little gipsy, acrobat and other children attending stalls, shows, and cocoa-nut establishments endure more trying occupations, long hours, and severe toil than our factory children.

Question 20. “How would you deal with those gipsies, and others who are living and huddling together in old vans and other places, whose travelling homes the Sanitary Inspectors would not pass as habitable?”

There would be three ways open to them: First, they must be compelled to hire a habitable van, which vans can be had on hire at Bristol and other places; or, secondly, they must go into settled homes; or, thirdly, we must apply the plan I propose for granting them long leases of common or waste land at a nominal rent.

Question 21. “Will you explain why it is that you would charge ten shillings per annum for vans, and only five shillings per annum for canal boats?”

Canal boats are engaged in furthering commerce, and thus add to the wealth of the country. In the case of gipsy vans, the owners use the roads of the country and pay neither rates nor taxes, and they do not, except those who use their vans to hawk goods round the country, add to the welfare of the nation, and for that reason I would suggest a little heavier registration fee. Gipsies and canal boatmen can move about the country for centuries and not be called upon to pay one farthing for any kind of rates, which is a pleasure they ought to enjoy without one moment’s delay.